The Nuances of Seances
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: How does the darkest, most blackened soul in all of Fairy Tail spend his Halloween holiday? By annoying the heck out of his friends and (attempting) to do something very sweet for his girlfriend.
1. Chapter 1

"As you all know, I've gathered you here for a very important reason."

"Um, I live here," Elfman pointed out as he waited by the stove for his eggs.

"Me too," Mira giggled, scrapping off said eggs onto said plate.

Laxus, flipping through the paper at the table, grunted. "I just fuck here."

"So," Freed said around his cup of coffee, "does Ever."

The woman of stone glared across the table at the rune mage. Having no ready rebuttal for this (he wasn't wrong; he rarely was), she scoffed around the fruit Mirajane had chopped for her before asking, "Why are you even here in the first place?"

"Obviously, because Bickslow invited me." Freed glanced over at the seith. "For a very important reason."

"Men don't invite other men over to other men's houses and expect other men to just turn the other cheek, you know," Elfman grumbled, finding his own spot at the table.

"As the man of the house," Laxus remarked without glancing up, "I say it's okay."

"You're not the man of this house! You're not the man of any house! You don't own a house!"

"You wanna yell at me again, Elfboy?"

"Hush, Laxus." Unlike her brother, Mirajane brought the slayer his food. "It's too early to be so loud."

"He yells at me again-"

"Just eat." Mira was staring across the table then though, at Freed. "What did you want for breakfast?"

"I-"

"How are you just gonna skip over me, Mrs. Boss?" Bickslow griped quickly, cutting Freed offf. Still standing, he took to crossing his arms. "I'm definitely next."

"How are you next?" Evergreen asked. "Freed got here first."

"Hey, how did Freed get here before you, Bickslow?" Elfman asked. "If it's your own meeting?"

"You don't show up on time to your own gathering." It made most everyone in the kitchen jump then as Bickslow slapped both hands together. While he got the glares of his teammates, he only beamed. "Did someone say gatherings?"

"I think I heard that word, yeah," Mira agreed with a nod.

"Demon, he's the one who said it," Laxus grumbled. "Obviously."

"Pancakes, Mirajane, if that's alright," Freed finally said. "And do not be fooled; Bickslow is purposely being deceptive."

"Who's being deceptive?" The seith's crossed arms tightened. "I'm being crystal clear!"

"Crystal," two of his dolls called as the other three echoed all floating uselessly around the kitchen, "Clear!"

"How did he even get in the house?" Laxus asked then. "Did someone let him in? If Lisanna isn't here, who was it? Freed? Ever? He not allowed in the house."

"You just said I could have a meetin' here, boss," the seith complained. "Remember?"

"That was before you got on my nerves. Rights revoked. Everyone out." Laxus flipped a page in his newspaper. "Except Freed and Mira."

"You still don't own this house," Elfman informed the other man. "And you sure as hell don't boss me around!"

"Well, in theory I own the house," Mirajane mused as she headed back to the stove. "And I like Bickslow. A lot."

"Yes, well, I always heard you Strauss sisters were a bit touched in the head," Ever remarked with a face.

Freed glanced from Elfman to his female teammate. "The sisters, was it?"

" _I gathered you all here today,"_ Bickslow began again, tone becoming raised enough to even get Laxus to look up, " _for a very important reason!"_

As Laxus glared at him, Freed only remarked, "Yes. To discuss gatherings."

"This gathering?" Mira questioned, glancing over her shoulder. "We're all here to discuss being here?"

"I live here," Elfman sighed.

"Fuck here," Laxus added.

"I feel like I'm going to die here," Evergreen complained. "But that's nothing new."

"This isn't the type of gathering of which he's speaking, Mirajane." It was Freed's turn to make a face. "I am sure, given the time of year, that he is speaking on something much more…darker in nature."

"Not a big fan of nature as a whole, sorry." Evergreen looked to Bickslow. "So I'm out."

"Nature is for men," Elfman explained as if not only did this make sense, but would also excuse his (sometimes) girlfriend from being disinterested in it. "Where they go out and find out about themselves as well as find themselves period."

"He's talking about a damn seance, you dumbasses." Laxus was growing impatient, apparently. "And Mirajane, I need more coffee."

"I'm busy right this second."

Grunting, he looked to Freed. But just as he was about to request the man get up and refill his mug (the rune mage was getting to his feet regardless, to do this), Mira added, "And don't make one of them do it for you."

"This isn't fair." Laxus glared at her back. "Being bossed around in my own house."

"This isn't your house!"

"I warned you, Elfboy-"

"This is why I have to have Lisanna around," Bickslow took to griping. "At least she listens to me."

"Why are we having a meeting without Lisanna?" Freed asked.

"We don't have 'meetings'," Evergreen complained. "Not with them. The Strausses. We're not a...faction."

"Right." Mira was beaming over at the stove, all to herself. "We're a fam-"

"Wait." Laxus' head shot towards Bickslow once more. "This isn't like that time you thought you killed Lisanna, is it? But were just so hungover you forgot she was asleep in the bedroom?"

"Or the time that you and Lisanna pretended to break up?" Elfman asked. "To make us all worried and concerned?"

"Mark that as multiple times," Freed added.

"Or did you steal another one of Mira and Laxus' tapes?" Ever raised an eyebrow. "Because if so-"

"We don't mention that!" both the dragon and demon rebuked her, both with enough ferocity that they shut the lady of stone right down.

"If I'm only allowed to reference the incidents of our lives by such gross exaggerations-" Bickslow began, but was cut off by the others.

"I mean, that's exactly what happened," Freed said. "In every instance."

Elfman nodded. "How I remember them exactly."

"When you boil it all down," Ever agreed.

"Why does that all feel so long ago?" Frowning down at his coffee, Freed said, "Too long."

"Speak," Laxus grumbled, "for yourself."

"It's almost like you and Lisanna matured, Bickslow," Mirajane commended, brightening once more from the thought. "And are ready to take a big step in your relationship."

"Whatever it is," Ever accused then, "Mirajane is so in on it. It's so obvious. Too obvious."

"Someone had to let Bickslow in," Freed agreed with a nod.

"How is he so mature," Elfman asked, "if he's wanting us to hold a fucking séance, of all things?"

"Seances are very mature!" Bickslow as invigorated once more. "And don't you dare say otherwise!"

"So we are having one," his male counterpart said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm not," Evergreen reminded them. "If it involves nature, I am o-u-t out. Can your Ouija board spell that, Bickslow?"

"I don't want Ouija board, I want to have a damn séance!" Then he paused and looked upwards, as if thoughtful. "Although-"

Suddenly, Elfman's big fists slammed down on the table, causing all the mugs and plates to jump on it and their contents to spill a bit. As this got a round of glares, the overly muscular man exclaimed, "He did kill Lisanna! And now he wants to reconvene with her spirit!"

Ever, realizing the absurdity of this statement, but also unable to stop herself from commenting, "Perhaps he'll seal it in one of those wooden bodies of his."

"Former lovers, no doubt, yes," Freed agreed. "The ultimate crime."

"Far from the ultimate crime." Laxus even crinkled his nose in his way Mirajane liked. She was lucky enough to be bringing Freed his pancakes and catch it. "The worst one, I'd imagine. So annoying."

'What was that?" Mirajane slammed the plate down in front of the rune mage, who only blinked, though her reasoning had far more to do with the man's idol. "Dragon?"

"What was what? This? This entire thing? A waste of time." Shaking his head, the slayer said, "And still no one has refilled my coffee-"

"You're about to have to get it for yourself."

The pair's eyes locked as she reached over to snatch his mug and do so, but it was Bickslow who spoke once more.

"So," he asked slowly, glancing around at all the others. "Who's in?"

"In what?" Elfman asked.

"Constant misery," Ever said with a raise of her hand.

"You're in misery," Freed chided. "Imagine being one of those souls."

"Oh, the séance?" Primed to slam his fists once more, it was pure self control that kept Elfman from finally breaking the well worn kitchen table. "No! Stark against that!"

"I didn't like Lisanna in actual life," the man's girlfriend said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I highly doubt I'd like her as a vengeful ex-girlfriend spirit."

"Well, I for one," Freed said after cutting into his breakfast, "do like your pancakes, Mirajane, and thank you for your hospitality."

As Ever rolled her eyes at the man, Mira only beamed over at him. "Thank you! And you know what it comes with, right?"

"Hm?"

"A big helping of you're all doing it." And in that moment, not only did Mira's tone drop momentarily, but the others all glared at Ever, blaming her quite easily for invoking such a mood in the first place, given her earlier 'tape' comment. "Right, dragon?"

"Right."

"Laxus, you don't even know what we're doing," Evergreen complained.

"I don't have to." He gave those seated at the table (yes, Elfboy included) a glare. "Because I know who I'm doing."

"It's how he got possession of the house," Bickslow reminded.

And that, finally, ended it all as Elfman, in his frustration over having to once more remind them all that Laxus was _not_ the man of the Strauss household, he was hardly a man at all, slammed his fists down one too many times, crumbling the table beneath the force.

Which left quite a mess, of course, as Ever took to berating poor Elfman, Mirajane cried over her poor, old table, Freed tried to console her, and Laxus came to realize that though it wasn't his fault, his pocketbook would no doubt be covering the price of a new table (it was how most repairs replacements in the house he definitely didn't own went), but this was no concern to Bickslow who now knowing he had at least a somewhat willing force backing him, set out continue on with the next phase of his plan.

"Come on, babies," he beckoned his dolls as they headed down the road to the guildhall. "It's gonna be a long day. And an even longer night!"

* * *

 **New material? What is this?**

 **Five parts, short chapters. Daily? Hopefully. Back for Halloween, but maybe more?**


	2. Chapter 2

"How come since Lisanna had to come in early, we had to come in early?" Happy complained as he and Natsu sat bored up at the guildhall bar. "Where does she get off, huh? Coming into our sacred home and knocking on the door at such an early hour."

"it was seven in the morning, Happy," Lisanna answered instead as Natsu found his time better spent sleeping (and drooling) with his head against Mirajane's precious bar top. "And it wasn't fair that I'm the only one that has to be here so early."

"You're getting paid, you know," the feline pointed out. "To be here."

"You're the one that always says you and I don't spend any special alone time together." The woman was over tacking up new jobs on the request board, but did glance over her shoulder at him. "Didn't you?"

"Yeah, but we're not alone!" Happy made a face at Natsu who, still snoozing, was unconcerned. "He's here."

"He's sleeping."

"And Kinana's right here, you know."

Lisanna's eyes widened as she was reminded that yes, the other woman was behind the bar, just bent down at the moment, taking some stock of the spirits beneath it.

"Uh, yeah, and I definitely didn't forget that at all," the white haired woman said. "Sheesh, Happy, why would you even insinuate it?"

"Oh, it's okay," they both heard Kinana call from beneath the bar. "Laxus and Mirajane forget I'm here all the time. All the time."

"You should teach me your secrets." Happy, seated atop the bar, peaked over the edge of it to stare down at the woman. "I can never even get Laxus and Mirajane to do anything like that in front of me."

"Well, it's a bit hard to forget about you when you're constantly inputting your suggestions as to what they should 'confess' to one another."

"Well have you ever heard them explicitly state that they love one another?" The Exceed took to glaring over at Lisanna. "Huh?"

"Actually, yes, Hap. A lot."

"Teach me your secrets too!"

"Maybe," Kinana suggested as she popped back up, "if you weren't so weird about it, people would open up to you more."

"How am I weird about it?" he asked. "I'm very supportive of all couples."

"You're not supportive of me and Bickslow," Lisanna muttered in a bit more real tone then. "You know."

"I like Bickslow," the cat defended before, with his arms crossed over his chest, he added, "I just don't like his dolls. They suck."

"Don't say that."

"It's true!" The Exceed patted at his fuzzy white stomach. "They shoot me in the tummy constantly with their stupid green lasers."

"Yeah, but only 'cause you're constantly bothering Bickslow when you're around," she pointed out. "Asking him all sorts of really personal questions, Hap, that aren't really your business."

"Like what?' he asked. "Everything to do with you is my business! Deep probing questions about his love for you is what any man should expect from me!"

Giggling, Kinana remarked, "I think I'm noticing a pattern."

"Where is Bickslow anyways?" Happy took to looking around, as if the creepy seith could jump out at any moment (it honestly felt, at times, like he would do just that). "Lisanna? Was he not as great as Natsu and I? Willing to get up so early in the morning even though we didn't have to because we care so much about you?"

"Happy, you and Natsu woke me up at five in the morning last week for, like, no reason-"

"We were having an argument that we needed you to settle."

"You snuck through my bedroom window?"

"Uh, gee, Lisanna, maybe if if you don't want people sneaking around in your house, you should be sure to lock everything."

"Sound logic," Kinana agreed helpfully.

"Especially your windows," he added. "I lock all our windows."

"You have holes all throughout your house that someone could easily get through," she pointed out.

"Yeah, 'cause I want them sneaking in. Then Natsu would get up and I could watch him fight 'em!" Happy punched at the air. "Or maybe I'll take 'em out. I'm becoming pretty powerful, in case you haven't noticed. Since you're so busy with Bickslow all the time now."

"Happy," Lisanna sighed, glancing over at him. "We spend plenty of-"

She stopped speaking as, suddenly, the guildhall doors were thrown up and in walked the man in question, five wooden dolls trailing along behind him.

"Lissy," he greeted upon his entry. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Right where you said you'd meet me?" she asked, though she was already tossing the remaining fliers down on a table to rush and go meet him. Kinana grinned at the sight, but still had much to get done. She wasn't sure if Mirajane was coming in that day or not, but should the woman do so and find the place not in the same tiptop shape she keeps it in, then she'd be in for quite the scolding.

And the place was never in the immaculate state Mira strived to keep it in (for opening, anyways). Never.

Happy, however, was less than pleased for the man to, once more, seemingly appear out of nowhere to ruin all the fun. Or, rather, the fun he generated not being able to exist around anyone else's.

It was fun, kinda, at first. Lisanna having a boyfriend. And for it to be Bickslow of all people. It gave Happy something to tease the woman about as well as get all the juicy insider information from. While Mirajane was certainly Lisanna's go to source for venting all her dirty laundry, she didn't mind doing so with the Exceed fluttering around, if not snuggle right in her arms. And she didn't mind if he crashed one of the pairs' dates either, as it typically consisted of them just mucking around the city or his place, doing next to nothing.

Slowly though, especially in the past year or so, Lisanna had begun to...change. Or maybe Happy had. He wasn't sure which. All he knew was that, all of a sudden, he wasn't invited to hang out with the pair as much and her conversations with Mirajane because something that he wasn't allowed to listen in on. Lucy told him that was because Bickslow and Lisanna were becoming more 'serious' and that he should be happy for her, but this only made Happy remind the woman she'd probably never find true happiness for herself which, of course, got him called stupid and a vow from the celestial mage to never let him air his grievances to her again.

Though he would.

Because even if he hid it pretty well, Happy definitely liked that aspect of he and Lucy's relationship.

Honestly, he wasn't even sure if it was hidden that well.

But there wasn't much that he could do. Other than flat out tell Lisanna he was feeling neglected (which would sound weird, no matter how he attempted to phrase it in his head, and he just knew would make him seem far too needy), Happy was left with passive aggressive comments that got a, "Whoa, little buddy, you feeling okay?" from Natsu and a, "Happy, don't be so rude all the time," from Lisanna, but not much else.

"it's part of maturing, tomcat, surely you know this," Carla groaned once when he griped about this to her while they were spending time together at the guildhall (err, well, she was spending some time off by herself on the grounds and he happened upon her, refusing to take a hint, but same thing, right?). "Lisanna is not your...mother."

"I know that! I didn't say that!"

"Then why are you acting as if she has a mandatory amount of time she must spend with you?" Carla looked off, considering something. "Although, if she was your mother-"

"I didn't say-"

"-you surely are old enough to understand needs beside your own are important, right?"

Happy's tail flicked at the thought. "I know that. Of course I know that. And I want Lisanna to be happy."

"You did not think she would be alone forever, did you?"

"I dunno. I'd never thought about it."

"You?" Carla sounded shocked. "The man that can't speak on anything other than love had never thought of one of his closest friends as one day finding it."

"Well, not with Bickslow. And not like this."

"But you don't get a say in that," she reminded. Then, after a short pause, she told him, "You know, one day Wendy too will fall in love. Perhaps many times. And though I'd hope that she would take my sharp instincts on just who is and is not worth my time, should she not, there's nothing much I can do other than be there for her and watch where our new friendship takes us?"

Happy too took a pause though, just as quickly, his head was shooting up. "Did you just say that you like spending time with me?"

The long sigh Carla gave him more than showed she felt about the same as she always did by it though, as her wings appeared and she fluttered off, she did remark, "Perhaps you have not matured nearly as much as I thought."

He was reflecting back on that conversation in particular that morning while he sat beside the snoozing Natsu and distantly listened in to the conversation that Lisanna was currently having with Bickslow.

One part stuck out to him more than any other.

"Well, Lissy, I just wanted to stop by."

"Stop by? You said you'd hang out with me this morning since Mira was gonna make me work. Remember? We literally just talked about it last night."

"Plans change, Lisanna."

"Overnight?"

"If you must know-"

"Yes," she interrupted, "I must."

"It's somethin' for you that I'mma be busy doing." The seith rubbed his knuckles against his chest. "Something big. Something that will blow your mind."

"Well, I think I have to work all day, so-"

"It'll be tonight," he said as his babies repeated that final word. "i already ran everything through your sister, so don't even worry about it, yeah? I'll come get you from the hall when it's time."

"Don't I even get a hint to what it is?"

Reaching up, he flicked up his visor so that they could stare one another straight in the eyes.

"What's life without surprises?" he asked.

"I don't know, you've never made it long enough to surprise me."

This was true.

But also going to be false that night.

"Okay," Lisanna said slowly as she took a step back from the man, planning on getting back to work. "Don't, like, get blackout drunk and forget about it. Now that, you know, you've told me about it and everything."

"Lissy, what are you implying?"

"I think you know."

Allowing his visor to drop, he only said, "Some time after sundown, alright? Be ready. I mean, it's not anything you have to get ready for, really, but-"

"Don't ruin it." Now that he'd challenged himself to keep the secret, she wanted to aid in this. Even though surprises were the worst, they were certainly also the best, in their own ways. "Get out of here before you do."

Bickslow gave her a salute and, with that, he was turning to march off, onto the next phase of the plan. Which for him was getting breakfast. But also making sure the others had started on the instructions he left them with while they were still deaing with the table incident. However, as he and his babies exited the hall and Lisanna went back to work, another person slipped through the door as well.

"Hey, Bickslow, wait up!"

"Ah?" He made a face at the feline as he flew towards him. "What do you want, cat? I'm very busy today...everyday. I'm a busy man. As you well know."

"What are you gonna do for Lisanna tonight?" Happy asked as he landed on the ground, tilting his head back to stare up at the tall man.

"Oi, is she already cavin'?" Shaking his head with disapproval, the seith said, "No commitment."

"No," Happy said with his own head shake. "I just want to know. And can I tag along? Natsu hasn't been much fun recently and-"

"No can do, cat." Bickslow crossed his arms. "Thunder Legion and Strauss siblings only. It's a rule."

"How can that be a rule? That's a stupid rule! A...a discriminatory rule!"

"Hmmm." Bickslow glanced up. "A discriminate. That's a good characteristic, ain't it? Or a dark knight such as myself? How could you root for such a man? You couldn't. Until you had to. Yeah, I-"

"Bickslow-"

"Sorry, Happy." He turned to walk off. "Why don't you spend time doing….whatever it is that you do normally? I mean- Oh, wait, hey! Yes! Why didn't I think of this before?"

Happy, fists having been ready to get balled, didn't lose any of his tension, but did asked, "What's that? What did you think of?"

"I could use an inside man," he said with a nod of his head. "Someone to make sure things definitely go my way. To aid in the trickery."

"Trickery? What exactly are you doing to Lisanna?"

"Trickery? Who said anything about trickery?"

"Pretty sure you-"

"Look, you wanna help me with this or not?"

Swallowing, it was a short ten seconds before the Exceed nodded. "Yeah. But what is it? What do you need me to do?"

"How good are you with faking voices?"

"Are you kidding? I'm the best!" At everything. In his mind, Happy added at everything. Because part of him truly believed this.

How could you ever believe you could possibly fail when the majority of your life completely lacked any instance of it?

"What are the odds?" Bickslow chuckled darkly and turned to walk off once more. "Come eat breakfast with me, cat. There's much to plan. Much to discuss."

"Right now?" Suddenly, Happy was glancing back at the hall. "But Lisanna and Natsu… I really shouldn't-"

"Are you a man or you a mouse?"

"I don't think I'm either."

"What a conundrum." Bickslow had to stop walking at that one. He had him there. "Hm."

"But...I guess I could go with you." Wings reappearing, he fluttered right back into the air. "If what we're doing's gonna help Lisanna." Not to mention, Bickslow had brought up the Strauss siblings. Though his opinions on the Thunder God Tribe weren't always the best, the ones he held on the Strauss siblings always rang through. Mirajane would never let anything happen to he nor Lisanna.

They were hardly off the grounds when Bickslow glanced over at the feline, the sight of him soaring through the sky not too odd for the man that had wooden dolls that did the same thing.

"Just how good are you, cat, at breaking into Lisanna's place?"

The question about made him drop out of the sky. "That has to do with the surprise?"

"No, that has to do with the fact the other shouldda cleared out of there by now and Mrs. Boss skipped over me on the breakfast train."

"W-Well, I am pretty hungry too-"

"Then it's settled. We'll plot over breakfast."

"P-Plot?"

"Hmmm?"

But Bickslow was hardly looking at him and didn't seem to notice the concerned stare Happy had going towards him.

Just what sorta thing had he signed himself up for?


	3. Chapter 3

The shopfront looked downtrodden as fuck and the last place that Laxus wanted to go in was there. However, the first thing he wanted to be in again was Mirajane and, well, here they were.

"Ooh, spooky," Mira beamed as, upon opening the door tot he little shop, they were welcomed with a fitting decor. The walls were lined with shelves full of spell books that, after glancing at the titles, Laxus wasn't so sure he shouldn't be alerting the magic council about as well as multiple knickknack items that he wasn't so sure he should just be alerting everyone about.

Elfman, more worried about the crampedness of the locale, frowned as he looked around. He'd already hit his allowance for things broken that day (he was typically given three, but the table certainly counted as much) and did not want another scolding from Evergreen and Mirajane.

"What is this place?" he muttered to Ever who was looking around in disgust, Freed doing much the same. "Some sort of magic shop?"

"It is the shop of all dark magics big and small!"

The loud exclamation made Evergreen jump and Elfman tense up, as if ready to start breaking everything, scoldings be damned. Men don't worry about the punishment, after all. They take their licks without fear. Especially if it means protecting their woman!

The voice continued, however, before he could make a judgment call.

"Of course," the man that they then saw behind the counter at the front of the dark lit shop went on, "that is not to say that I, myself, partake in such dark matters. Rather, I see myself as a...collector. Yes, a collector. Who perhaps at times does sully himself with dirty deeds, but also can find himself doing the upmost of good. Who-"

"We," Freed sighed as Laxus almost let out a long groan, "are for sure in the right place."

"Good morning," Mirajane greeted in the cheerful tone only someone who'd been promised by their boyfriend a chance to buy any kitchen table the wanted could have. "We're here because our friend Bickslow-"

"Mira?"

Samael?"

"That," Freed complained as Laxus stared in shock while his girlfriend rushed through the tiny shop over to the man, "can't possibly be his name."

"He's friends with Bickslow," Ever reminded. "Anything's possible."

"Wait." Elfman frowned down at the two of them. "When you all say that you have friends outside of the rest of us?"

"Please," his girlfriend begged as Freed widened his eyes, "do not embarrass yourself."

"Mira." Laxus was heading through the shop as well, scowling at the sight of his girlfriend and the odd man embracing. "How do you know this guy?"

She grinned real big over at the approaching Laxus as the hug lasted a bit too long for the man's taste. "We," she began as they separated, "dated."

"Suddenly, I really like this little misadventure," Ever mused as she left Elfman and Freed behind to get closer to her one true love; unnecessary drama. Over her shoulder though, she did add a hissed, "Don't touch anything."

Which Elfman was all ready to follow...until he turned and saw Freed doing just that.

"She said not to touch stuff, you know," the muscular man carped as the slimmer one picked up some sort of jar filled with a blue liquid. "She's real serious about that sorta stuff."

"Have you not realized it yet, Elfman?" Freed hardly gave him a glance. "It's merely you who must follow her autocratic rule."

"Dated?" Laxus was repeating with a frown. "You dated this guy? He looks fucking fifty."

This seemed to offend the other man- Samael, as he claimed himself. Not that Laxus cared. He wanted to tell him he looked ridiculous to be the age he appeared, yet still sporting some sort of hooded robe, the shade a dark blue, nearly black, and have his face caked with some sort of white powdered makeup that Laxus wasn't sure if was to make his already pale skin paler or to hide the pretty obvious signs of aging. The worst offense was surely the dyed far too darkly hair that was poking out from beneath the hood that was thinning to the extreme.

He looked stupid.

He looked like what Bickslow would look like in a short number of years.

It was aggravating.

"Laxus," Mira complained as Evergreen had to hide her grin into the hand fan she'd produced for just such usages. "You're being rude."

"I'm being honest."

"Aren't you fifty? Yet?" Elfman called from where he was still standing in the doorway, still very fearful of that scolding he just knew was coming. "Laxus?"

"No," he growled, glaring over at the man. "I'm not."

Was he?

How long were they in that damn hyyper sleep spell thing on the island?

How old was he?

Oh gosh.

Was he forty?

"Would you two knock it off?" Mira glared over towards the door at her brother. "You're embarrassing me in front of Samael."

"That still," Freed sighed, "cannot be his real name."

"I'm embarrassing you in front of a man in a bathrobe, Mira?" Laxus asked. "Really?"

"A scared robe that I use during my most important sacred rituals, thank you." The other man, for some reason, was deluded enough to not understand why glaring at Laxus Dreyar wasn't such a grand idea. "The likes of which someone such as yourself could never wish to don."

"It has stains, literally, all over it," Evergreen observed, always one to take up for her (im)perfect idol. And, not to miss a chance to take a jab at her least favorite Strauss (though, honestly, that wasn't a hard category to lose), she made a face over at the man's girlfriend. "Oh, Mirajane, please tell me that he's just fallen on hard times."

"Samael is an...eccentric," Mira said with a glare. Then, glancing back at the man, she stammered a bit, realizing this could be seen as an insult. "I-I mean-"

"No, no, it's true." He turned from them then, of course taking the moment out to grasp part of his robe and allow it to flutter villainous behind him. "It is the tragic life story of every genius, good meaning or not. Misunderstood merely for existing. Cast aside-"

"Bickslow said you had a list?" Freed interrupted. He was still very concernedly scanning through the different potions, not so certain they worked, but still fearful of their legality. The last thing he needed for his reputation was to be busted by the government in a place that sold banned items. Not to mention they still had to spend the rest of the evening with said seith and, well, getting a double dosage of insanity was not something he was looking forward to. "One he had given you? Of things to put together for us to gather?"

His back was to the group and, for a moment, Samael just stood there, considering. Then he nodded.

"Yes. A list. From Bickslow."

As the man bent down behind the counter, Laxus moved to grab his girlfriend's arm and drag her back, just a bit, so he could bend down and whisper privately in her ear.

"Mira, what the fuck?"

"What, Laxus?" she complained as she jerked away from him. "Like you didn't know I have exes?"

"Ex- I don't care about exes!" He huffed a bit. "I care that you were dating losers like this before me. What will people think of me when they hear that your dating list consisted of the likes of a Bickslow knock off?"

"If anything, Bickslow's a knockoff Samael, considering he's been around longer."

"A lot," Ever called from where she stood as, apparently, they weren't whispering as lowly as they thought they were, "longer."

"How long do I have to stand over here all alone?" Elfman called out to the others then. "Because maybe I want to do some shopping too!"

"Forever," his girlfriend volleyed back, not wanting her chance at watching Mira and Laxus argue be dwindled away due to the man breaking something. "And ever."

"Laxus, I was young," Mira finally complained. "Young people make dumb mistakes. And obviously he wasn't fifty then."

"Great. So you were dating a forty year old creep."

"Late thirties."

"Mira-"

"Why don't we go through all of your girlfriends, Laxus? Huh?"

"This isn't about me."

"Neither was this before you made it that way."

"The list, the list, the list, the list," Samael was chanting loudly then as he dug around in a drawer behind the counter. "The l- Ah, here it is!"

"Do tell me," Freed asked as he finally glanced over, "that you have already collected the things? And were not just looking for the list?"

Instead of answering, or producing any sort of pile or box of already gathered things, the man only said, "I answer to no man! Much less a mere mortal."

"Freed's a lot more than a mere mortal, Samael," Mirajane assured him as Laxus tried hard not to just walk out, right then and there, and say fuck his stupid circle of friends. Stupid circle of idiots. Why did he even like any of these people? At all?

"If being the opposite of mortal, Mira, winds you up like him," the rune mage sighed, "then I am perfectly happy with my normal existence."

"The first thing on the list," Samael was calling loudly then as he moved to walk around the shop, "is a stone. A stone unlike any other. A stone meant to be wield by only the most competent of wizards. A stone-"

"Will that stone," Laxus grumbled out, "help us channel the dead?"

"What? No, of course not." Samael plucked a glassy blue rock from a shelf across the room from Freed. "It locates water, glowing when you are within up to five feet of it!"

"And you need it for a séance?" Ever asked, skeptical.

"No." Samael was already moving right along though. "He also has requested-"

"Why would you want a stone that only did that?" Freed was not one to be fooled. "Five feet? You should hear the rushing water!"

"Perhaps," Mira defended, "it finds puddles."

"It," Samael assured her, "does not."

"Can I move yet?" Elfman asked.

"No," came the chorus from all of the others, save the store owner, who were all equally tired of him asking.

"A deck of tarot cards," the shopkeeper was continuing. "Preferably the coolest looking ones."

"I thought those were for telling the future?" Ever asked. "Are we doing a reading? I thought we were having a séance."

"They are," Samael agreed. "And I have no idea what you people are doing. Convening with the dead, is it? Not many supplies one would need for that."

"Is anyone even sure that's what we're doing?" Freed looked to the others finally. "Did Bickslow ever explicitly state that? Because I thought all you needed were some candles for that. Surely Bickslow has candles."

"Are there candles on the list? Samael?" Mirajane asked.

"Mmmm," he hummed as he scanned over it. "Ah, yes."

'Seance candles?"

"I know no such name for an object."

"I'm convinced nothing in this damn shop has a name," Ever quipped.

"Fuck this list." The slayer was growing more and more peeved. Had he not found out that the creep in the robe had once fucked his girlfriend, he might have just stood outside and waited for the others to finish their misadventure. "We can figure out what we need. You said candles? Freed? Get the right candles and let's get out of here."

"I'm still thinking Ouija board," Evergreen told them. "Do you not summon spirits with that?"

"Yes, I was unsure of this as well," Freed added. "Bickslow acted as if those were not mutually exclusive with a séance. But are talking boards not typically what one would use?"

"Well," Mira began, "they are not mutually exclusive. Like a rectangle is always a square, but a square isn't always a rectangle. Using a Ouija board is always a séance, but a séance doesn't always require the use of an Ouija."

"I think you have that one backwards, Mirajane," her boyfriend sighed.

"Laxus, what do you know about this kind of stuff anyways?" she complained, tired of the slayer apparently. "What do you know about anything?"

"He was talking," Evergreen said with a roll of her eyes, "about the stupid squares and rectangles."

"If you people are having a séance," Samael interrupted, "then perhaps I can finally unload that stupid- I mean sell you the very high quality séance table that I have in the back-"

"There's a back to this place?" Elfman complained. "Why not make it the whole store? And make it bigger?"

"I usually don't have such...behemoths of customers," Samael explained with little tact.

"Usually when people pause, they're trying to find a nicer way to say something, you know," Freed remarked.

"This is all muscle!" Elfman insisted. "Manly muscles!"

"Ooh, a séance table, Laxus." Mirajane clapped her hands. "What are the odds?"

"What odds?" he asked. "This whole thing's fucking odd. And I'm staring to think that we actually had no reason to be here at all."

"Only starting?" Evergreen questioned.

"I have a great model that I can't unload," the store clerk was saying then. "That you would just love, Mirajane. Remember those late nights dabbling in the dark arts?"

"I'm gonna barf," Elfman informed then all. For once, Laxus agreed. "Seriously."

"He means learning spells," Mirajane complained as Freed too looked a bit sick. Ever, however, was beyond enjoying herself. "It's what we connected over."

"Oh, we believe you connected," the woman of stone remarked snidely.

"Why would Mira...love the table so much?" Freed asked slowly. "Exactly?"

"Perfect for seances," the man explained. "Circular, yes? And the top? A Ouija printed right on the surface! What a table it is."

"Soounds hideous," Ever remarked with a frown.

"No one who follows the path of such demented thoughts cares for any sort of thing," Samael complained. "We care about functionality. And it functions quite great."

"Because Ouija can be used in seances," Mira insisted. "See, Laxus? I told you."

"I never argued that. I was arguing about squares and rectangles."

"And now you're buying me a séance table."

"Mira, you're going to eat fucking breakfast on a table meant to summon the dead?" Laxus asked.

"I sure hope it's ectoplasm resistant," Freed remarked. "Else breakfast just got a lot grosser."

"What is that?" Ever asked, making a face just from the name.

"Something that only happens in possessions!" Samael made a face of his own, though it was in annoyance, fearful that Freed would hamper his sell. "Who would get possessed at a dinner table?"

"You don't know Bickslow that well, do you?" Ever asked with shake of her head.

"Well, we'll have one at the séance, I'm sure," Mirajane mused.

"Unless you use the table's Ouija board," Samael countered.

Looking up at her boyfriend, Mira said, "He makes great points."

"He makes no points. And this was all a farce." Laxus had had enough, apparently. "Bickslow sent us here for absolutely no fucking reason at all. So if we could all just hurry the fuck up and get out of this rundown shack-"

"Laxus, behave."

And that did it. Crossing his arms over his chest, the man let out a long, slow breath through his clasped lips.

All better.

"Now," Mirajane began after being sure her command had worked. "Samael, how much for the table?"

"60, 000 jewels."

"We'll take it."

That got the slayer speaking again.

"Mira-"

"Laxus I want it." Turning her eyes up to stare at the man, she gave him her best begging pose. "Please?"

Which is how they ended up finally getting out of there, the only thing bought being Mira's stupid table that Laxus and Elfman had to lug back in its box, all the way to the Strauss household.

"Oi! Boss! You're back! And with a table. Not too shabby, Mirajane."

"It's a séance table," she giggled as they found him in the house, sitting around in the living room. "I figured we could use it tonight."

"Ah, nah, we can't."

"Huh?"

Shaking his head as he didn't even move to help the others take it back into the kitchen, the seith stuck out his tongue as he said, "Our séance has to be outside."

"What?" Evergreen stomped into the house last. "So we do have to go outside?"

'Into the woods. Deep into the woods!"

"Deep," some of Bickslow's wooden babies called as the others added, "woods!"

"But Laxus spent a lot on the table." Mira kicked a bit at the ground before brightening. "Ooh, we can just start having a weekly get-together where we contact the dead! It'll be great for bonding."

"Where's my stuff?" The seith was starting to realize that no one had a sack of things for him. "Guys? Thought you went to the store for me?"

"Bickslow." Freed, who had gone into the kitchen with Laxus and Elfman to set up the table, was coming back to poke his head into the room. "None of the things on that list had anything to do with a...seance. Tarot cards? Stones? Not even candles!"

"There were candles," Bickslow defended.

"The man at the shop said they were for ritual sacrifice," Freed complained. "We went through each item on that list before we left. It was full of nonsensical things that have nothing to do with what you told us they would."

"I never told you guys that I wanted you to get me stuff for the séance." Bickslow held his head higher, still the only one seated. "I needed you to do this for me for personal reasons."

"What personal reasons?" Ever asked with a frown.

"It takes a lot out of a medium, okay?" The seith refused to look any of them in the eyes. "That's what I'mma be. Tonight. When I channel a spirit into me. For Lisanna."

"Then what the fuck," they heard a deep growl then from the kitchen, "was all that shit that you made us pick up for you meant for?"

"Boss," Bickslow started, "I'm a man of many interests. I write up lists of things, give them to my guy, he gets it all together, come back the next day with all sorts of new stuff for my house."

"Tarot cards though?" Freed was skeptical. "You can read tarots?"

"Of course not."

"Then why did you want them?"

"I'm dark soul, Freed."

"How have you never bought them before then?" Evergreen asked. "Hmmm?"

"I've bought all that stuff I put on the list before. The water stone, the cards, the candles, the gold pendant to ward off the undead-"

"Then why did you want us to go out and get it all again?" Elfman called out to him. "Huh?"

"Uh, because I'm not only a man of many dark interests." Bickslow tongue wagged a bit. "I'm also a man who misplaces things constantly!"

For a moment, the house was completely silent.

"I'm gonna kill him."

But only for a single moment.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him, Mirajane. I'm serious this time. This is it. This is the day that I strike down this whole damn town-"

"Laxus, take a breath." Mirajane was rushing in there. "And ooh, look at my new table!"

"You had better hope, Bickslow," Freed warned as Ever too rushed off to calm the slayer down, "that whatever it is that you're planning goes off without a hitch. Because you've more than pissed everyone off by this point."

"Just trust me some, huh? Everything's according to plan." Folding his hands behind his head with complete ease, he said, "All we have to do is wait till nightfall. Then you'll all see. Swear."

* * *

 **So the daily thing didn't happen. Had a lot going on the past few days. Still, I'm not abandoning this one. Swear.**


	4. Chapter 4

It was the perfect evening for a late hour stroll through the woods. You know, if you were looking to be killed by an axe wielding murderer who would chop your body up and send it to your parents. Anything else you were looking to do, honestly, it just wasn't a good fit for. The blowing wind had a bite to it as it knocked felled leaves all about. The moon was out, but hidden behind dark clouds, obstructing the very little light it had to offer anyways. It was cold out and downright eerie.

And it frightened the heck out of poor Happy.

"So you wanna go out, all by yourself, into the woods at night, and absolutely can't have us follow you?" Lucy had questioned when he told Natsu and her that they were both on their own for the evening, as he had plans. "Happy?"

"Aye," he agreed, nodding his head, though the volume of his voice wasn't nearly as loud as it usually was. Especially when making such a declaration. "I'm gonna meet Lisanna and Bickslow."

"Are you following Lisanna and Bickslow? Little buddy?" Natsu tapped his nose. "'cause I'd be great help at that!"

"Please," Lucy begged, making a face at both of them. "Anything to get the two of you out of my apartment."

"No!" Happy definitely didn't want Natsu to tag along. While the feline would admit that he himself wasn't always the best at making sure a situation didn't fall off the rails, Natsu was a certain insurance that it would. And he and Natsu together? The whole thing would go to shit. The things they did together always went to shit. "I have to do this alone."

And he did. He sent out with only the pack tied around his neck for company, headed deep into the woods that surrounded Magnolia proper. While he was headed there though, across town, the others too were preparing for the hopefully eventful evening.

"I just can't do it, Mira," Elfman was grumbling slightly as they waked along the quiet street. "Eating dinner at that table was horrible."

"It was wonderful, I felt," his older sister gushed in reply. "Didn't you, dragon? Freed?"

"i for one," Evergreen intervened before either of the men could answer, "hate it."

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't ask for your opinion then." Mira glanced over her shoulder at the other woman. "Isn't it?"

As Ever's jaw hit the floor and she debated literally hitting the she-devil, Laxus and Freed only shared a look.

If it had been a long day, the night just might never come to an end.

Happy was already in position, hidden away in the clearing, when the five of them arrived. Ever was stewing as she knew going up against Mirajane, truly going up against her, would only lead to her own downfall, while Elfman kicked at the ground, unsure which of the domineering women in his life he should be siding with. Mirajane though seemed over it (if she was ever on it, that is), instead gushing to Laxus about just how excited she was.

"For, you know, whatever it is that we're doing," she finished with a grin as he only rolled his eyes. "I wonder who we're contacting. Ooh, I hope it's someone famous!"

"Why," Freed asked slowly, "would we summon someone famous? Of what use would that be?"

"I don't know," Mira said with a shrug. "Why do we do any of the things that we do?"

Which was a question worth pondering, honestly, as none of them truly had an answer.

Laxus though, who might to have known why the others did what they did, but certainly knew why he did (how many times does he have to cite fucking Mirajane as an answer before it becomes trite), was distracted by something else.

"Do you guys smell that?" he asked as Happy's heart sank, over in the bushes. "That scent. It smells like one of those damn cats."

"Oh, Laxus, hush." Mira patted him on the arm. "And come sit down. We should all practice our breathing techniques."

"Our what now?" Elfman asked.

"And on the ground? Are we sitting on the ground?" Evergreen regarded the grass and dirt with suspicion. "It's filthy!"

"Yes, Ever," Freed sighed as he took wished very little to do so. However, they'd come that far; to back out over something as silly as that would only make the thing even more aggravating. "That is how it works."

While that got him a glare, it only got Mirajane to clap her hands.

"This is just all so much fun already," she giggled. "Don't you guys think?"

No.

But then, the real excitement was only just beginning. In the distance, they all began to hear the sounds of the approaching seith and Lisanna, the latter's maniacal cackle more than carrying through the dense forest.

"You're gonna love it, Lissy," he was saying as he led the woman in question down the path, deeper and deeper into the forest. "Swear it."

"Swear it," came the drifting voices of five lost souls, forever bound (doomed?) to the control of their master. "Swear it."

Giggling along with him, she remarked, "You always give the best gifts, Bicks."

Err, well, he put some thought into them, at least.

But semantics were for squares.

"And," he was drawing out the word as they found themselves on the cusp of the clearing, "here we are!"

"You...invited the others," was what Lisanna said slowly as she found them there, Freed finally starting on kindling the fire, of which Bickslow had previously gathered sticks for a pile. "On our...date."

"Yep!" Bickslow nodded proudly. "That's exactly what I did."

"Don't you know yet, Lisanna?" Mirajane, who was seated on the ground, no quells about it at all. "We're having a séance!"

"We're having a what?"

"Do not," Ever griped as she still only stood, arms crossed over her chest, "complain, girlie. You're lucky we're even here."

"Judging by the look on her face," Freed mused as he hardly glanced up from the fire he was getting going, "I do not think that she's too excited about that either."

"I'm actually a bit disappointed in you, Lisanna," Elfman spoke up. He too had taken his seat on the ground, at the prompting of his older sister of course, and looked a bit goofy, honestly, to his younger one as he glared up and over at her. "Following a strange man into the forest late at night. What's wrong with you? That's how all horror stories start!"

"He's not strange, Elf. He's Bickslow."

"No, the man's right," Freed assured her. "I've known him half my life now and still, I find that he is very strange."

"What did you think you two would be doing out here anyways?" Ever asked, making a face. "Lisanna?"

"W-Well-"

"Get high and behave like the equivalences they are," Laxus griped much to the amusement of Mirajane who had to reach up and pinch at his cheek.

"Dragon," she giggled as the man sat stoically beside her, allowing this. "You talk like such an old man sometimes. It's so cute."

"I just want to get this over with," he complained. "I have things to do."

"What could you possibly have to do," Elfman complained with a frown, "so late at night?"

"Let me guess," Ever replied softly under her breath, "Mirajane?"

"I heard that and no," he grumbled as he glared off. "Actually, Gramps ain't so good at taking his pills these days. Especially his night ones. And since I've been stuck here with you clowns, I haven't had a chance to check to see what he's taken and hasn't. So after this, I gotta head over there."

That got everyone silent. Even Happy over in the bushes felt it and the dolls, who'd been merrily humming some sort off tune between them, did so softer.

Then, slowly, Bickslow remarked, "Jeez, boss, bring the room down much?"

Lisanna, eyes alight, asked, "Yeah, got any stories about brain tumors stored up?"

Instead of responding, Laxus only leaned down and said quite bluntly and audibly, "Mirajane, I don't like them. Either of them. Any of them. Can't we just go?"

"Oh, hush, dragon." His cheek got some more pinching. "You'll see why it's so important soon!"

"Just who, exactly, are we...seancing?" Lisanna, once more, looked to her boyfriend. "Bickslow?"

"Conjuring," he corrected.

"Is it really conjuring though?" Mira put a finger to her lips. "Or is manifesting?"

"The spirit manifests," Freed corrected. "We're summoning."

"Does that involve possession or not?" Evergreen was, once more, finding another reason to back out of their misadventure. "Because if so, spirit or whatever you are, wherever you are, I am not to be entered."

Bickslow, eyes alight, only replied, "Sorry about that then, Elfman."

"What does that even mean?" Elfman roared, recognizing teasing when it was thrown his way. "You're no man!"

"That would be relevant, maybe," Freed sighed, "in any other conversation."

"Who are we summoning, Bickslow?" Laxus impatience was only growing. And if Mirajane tugged at his cheek one more time, it might just bubble over into pure aggravation. "And what's it gotta do with Lisanna?"

"Oi, boss, I's getting to that."

"Then get to it."

"Right." Making a fist then, he rubbed his knuckles against his chest before turning to face his girlfriend. "Ahem. Lissy, as you know, I'm a man of many talents."

With her eyes staring straight into his, she nodded her head. "Many."

"I mean, I'm a great lover."

"The best."

"I'm super funny."

"Super duper."

"I make great burritos."

"The greatest."

"I-"

"Get," Laxus growled then as Mirajane didn't even try to corral him (she was growing weary of their antics as well), "to the point."

"Right, right, boss, sure." That time, the seith nodded. Then, with absolutely no build up or lead in, he said quite frankly, "I'm going to summon your dead parents from the grave."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, a huffed, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

But it didn't come from the most likely of culprits. Laxus was busy staring down at Mirajane, trying to judge if she knew this was coming while the demon, who had not, only sat there silently, staring with wide eyes. Evergreen was shocked into silence (plus her love of all things traumatic, if it had to do with others, had more than kicked in). Her boyfriend was much the same, not sure just how to act in such a situation.

Rather, it was Freed who spoke, taking steps away from the fire and over towards his teammate, that deeply disappointed look he had at times like when Laxus blew them off or the seith or Evergreen neglected to do a certain task.

"Why would you even joke about something like that?" the rune mage was asking then. "That's terrible, Bickslow. You're terrible."

"It wasn't a joke, man!" Defensive now as his surprise that he'd thought so log and hard about was being turned into some sort of indictment on his character. "I'm gonna do it. I'mma summon their dead parents."

"Stop," Laxus finally sighed when it became clear his girlfriend did _not_ know about this portion of things, "saying that, Bickslow."

"Why? It's what I'm going to do." Though usually one to cave to his idol, he did not when it came to matters of the heart. "I'm going to summon Mrs. and Mr. Strauss and they're gonna give Lissy the go ahead to marry me and you can all just suck it."

Now with an extra shock causing a hush to fall upon most the group, only Mirajane clapped her hands.

"Now, I knew the proposal part," she spilled to Laxus with a grin before sparing one at her still silent sister across the clearing. "I was so excited! What's more romantic than this?"

"Asking someone other than the woman for permission to do something with her?" Freed turned his eyes to the woman, but it wasn't disappointment he had in them, not even surprise; just exhaustion. "Mira? Do you know what year this is?"

"Mmmm, whatever year Laxus turns fifty?"

The slayer about fell over. "M-Mirajane!"

"Sorry, dragon." Again, she clapped her hands. "I'm just so giddy, I couldn't help myself! Ooh, Bickslow, do you really think you can do it though? Summon our parents? Oooh, now I'm even more excited."

"You are?" Ever raised her eyebrows. "Honestly?"

Nodding, she said, "Would you not be?"

"My parents aren't dead. That I know of."

And that hadn't meant to slip from Ever's mouth, but it had and it too made the already surpassing gauche situation nearly unbearable. After a moment, Bickslow spoke, but only to his girlfriend.

"Jeez, Ever, bring down the room more, why don't you?"

But that time, instead of grinning along, Lisanna only asked, "Can you really, Bickslow?"

"Bring the room down more? Sure. When I was a kid, I once watched another kid cut off a dog's tail and throw it back in the dog's face!"

"I'm done. I'm just don't." Laxus was starting to get up. "Lisanna, you're not allowed to marry or date him anymore. Come on. You can help me check on, Gramps."

"Bickslow," the young woman in question was saying as her sister tugged the slayer back down to the ground, "summon our parents, is what I meant. Can you seriously do that? Can you make it to where I can talk to my mom and dad?"

"Lisanna," Freed tried, but the seith spoke before he could finish.

"Of course." And there wasn't an ounce of wavering in his tone. "Would I say something so outlandish I I couldn't?"

Yes. Of course he would. He did constantly. A day didn't go by that he didn't say complete absurdity seemingly only for the purpose of annoying somebody else.

But would he be that cruel to his own girlfriend?

Yeah, Freed was leaning towards definitely, but what could you do?

"Then...if you guys are okay with it," Lisanna began as she looked around the clearing at her two siblings, "I'd like for you to do so."

"Yes! Oh gosh, yes! How great is this? Laxus never does anything like this for me," Mirajane gushed.

"Emotionally manipulate you by holding the deaths of your parents and my ability to connect with them from beyond the grave hostage?" Snorting, the man said, "Yeah, I've never done that."

"See?" Mira said with a shake of her head, as if disappointed.

"Elf?" Lisanna looked his way then. "Are you...okay with this?"

Evergreen was hoping no. In a twisted way, she was hoping no, but for him to say yes, because that would add even more fuel to the ever-burning fire that was their lives and would no doubt blow up soon enough.

This wasn't to say that a deep part of her wasn't concerned over the big oaf.

Because she was.

This was some heavy shit, assuming Bickslow could pull it off (and that was a big if).

But…

There was something wrong in Evergreen, there always had been, that just didn't care. Not when her own benefit (which was as little as a mere dramatic fight playing out before her) was on the line.

"If you really want him to, what kinda man would I be to deny you?" the man finally conceded.

Perhaps a smart one as, even as Bickslow solemnly received Lisanna's nod and replied with one of his own, Freed knew that something was up. He wasn't sure what, but he knew it had to be something.

And Happy, hidden away in the bushes, would make certain it was.

* * *

 **Sorry for the lateness. Didn't ghost you guys. Just had some of my own shit that popped up for a bit. But, as promised, we're at least finishing this.**


End file.
